Machine for filing receptacles.



No. 893,583 PA ENTED JULY 14,1908,

A. HEY & M. BRAUN. MACHINE FOR FILLING RECEPTAGLES,

APBLI GATION FILED JAN. 28, 1907f 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fill-1.

No. 893,583. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

33. A. HEY & M. BRAUN.

MACHINE FOB. FILLING RECBPTACLES.

APPLIGATIONTIL-ED JAN. 28, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIRE. g4

' i L 1 6 a a 1 p I 13 E i II m! 1o l 'l I 1. t I j I 8 I H;

INVEN TORS PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

BRAUN.

E. A. HEY & M MACHINE FOR FILLING REGEPTAGLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1907. v

' 4 SHEET$-SHEET'3.

INVENTORI WITNESSES:

PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

. L. A. HEY & M. BRAUN. MACHINE FOR FILLING REGBPTAGLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1907 V qaren 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

EDMUND A. HEY, OF WEST VIEW, AND MICHAEL BRAUN, OF ALLEGHEN 1', PE

COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A.

Assieivons T H. J. HEIN'. OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Parana NNSYLVANIA, CORPORATION MACHINE FOR FILLING RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1 1, 1908.

Application filed January 28, 1907. Serial No. 354,581.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDMUND A. HEY, residing at Vi est View, Allegheny county, State bf Pennsylvania, and MICHAEL BRAUN,

residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, citizens of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new, and useful Improvements in Machines for Filling Receptacles,

U) of which improvements the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in machines for filling cans, or other receptacles, with commodities which may be handled in ,5 bulk, as for example baked beans, and other forms of food now so extensively canned for the market and the primary object of our improvements is to provide such a machine in which fragile commodities, such as baked 0 beans, may be handled without crushing, and in which the receptacles may be filled with greater accuracy than is ordinarily the case with such machines.

Other advantages of our improved con- 5 struction will be apparent, on examination of the drawings and the specification, to one familiar with machines of this general character.

In the accompanying drawings, We have illustrated. a machine for filling cans with baked beans, in which our improvements are embodied. It is obvious that the invention is not restricted to a can-filling machine as such, but is a plicable to filling other recepi tacles and the iandling of other commodities.

Figure 1 shows the can-filling machine in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a view in. vertical section, on a-plane indicated at II-II, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view Fig. 4 is aview in horizontal section, on the line IV.IV of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a projection upon a plane of a section taken around the periphery of the machine through the hopper, the measuring chambers and underlying cans, this pro'ection being made to show diagrammatically the cycle of operation. Parts which are repeated in the several 'fig-ures bear the same reference numerals throughout.

A suitable frame, 1, with bed-plate, 2, carries a ho per, 3, in elevated position above the bed-p ate. The hopper may conveniently be made removable from the frame, and adjustable in its osition above the bed-plate, as is indicated 1n the'drawings, for purposes to be hereinafter described. When the hopper is secured in position, however, it is held immovable in the frame. This hopper receives (as, for instance, through a suitably arranged chute 4see Fig. 5) the COHUDOtllty which the machine is designed to handle, and it delivers this commodity through suitably arranged measuring chambers to the cans or other receptacles which are suitably positioned on the bed-plate, 2, of the machine. To this end, the measuring chamber 9, of which many are shown in the drawings entering into the organization of the machine illustrated, is arranged beneath hopper, so that the hopper discharges into lb, and the cans or'receptacles, 16, are arranged beneath the measuring chamber, in such manner that the commodity will be discharged from the measuring chamber d own into the receptacles.

The feature of our invention to which we first direct attention is the shape of this measuring chamber, 9. ldeasuring chambers have been heretofore employed, intermediate between a hopper and receptacle, their purpose being to serve as a gage, to au tomatica determine the amount of the commodity which shall be discharged into each receptacle in turn, and such measuring chambers have heretofore been cylindrical chambers, opening above and below :lter- 'nately, to the end in view. No direct attention to the fact that our measuring chamber, 9, though approximately cylindrical in form and thus possessing the general shape best adapted to the end in view, is, as will be soon in Fig. 2, flared slightly from top to bottom, and this flared construction permits a from discharge of the commodity when the chamber is open below, and is a provision against sticking or choking of the commodity in the chamber.

The measuring chamber or chambers, arranged beneath the hopper, close the mouth of the hopper so that the only escape from the hopper is through such measuring chamber or chambers. This chamber or those chambers-are, in the operation of the machine, movable relative to the hopper itself. In such relative movement, the measuring chamber or chambers advance'to and from communication with the orifice. When comn'iunicating with the hopper-orifice, they receive the commodity; but when they advance and communication with the hopper the receptacles which are BEST AVAILABLE COPY is cut off, they discharge their contents to brought to suitable position beneath them.

In addition to .the flared form of the measr' uring chamber which, as above stated, assists the free discharge of the commodity,

further means are provided for removing and, in soc-lapping upon the upper end of the .chamber, suc

as may remain adhering to small quantities of commodity the chamber walls are removed, and fall to the underlying receptacle. This disk 13 may'conveniently be arranged beneath the hopper; and, as shown,

'. may conveniently be'carried at the end of a flexible arm, insuch manner as to depend into the path of movement of the measuring chamber. 7 The advancing measuring chamber then bearing upon its convex face causes the disk first to rise and then leaves it free to descend and, as the machine travels at appreciablc speed, to clap upon the upper end of the measuring chamber to perform the described function.

A plate, 10, forms a closure for the lower end of the measuring chamber or chambers when the latter are l]! ("OUIIHLUUNLllOH with the hop er orilicc, or chain crs' 0 ion below when their communication with l he hopper is cut oil; to the end that the advancing measuring chan'ibcr, be-

ing first closcdbelow and open above and then closed above and open below, will a1- ternatcly receive from the hopper and discharge to an underlying receptacle its full This. plate, 10,

measure of the commodity.

)PGI 3, and

is in fixed position relative to ho accordingly it may conveniently e mounted in the frame, 1, of the machine. As shown in the drawings, plate 10 lilrchopper 3 is adjustable in its mounting in frame 1, and for, the same end, as will presentl be described; It has been found desirab e, in building machines of this general character, to. so arrange tl i'e -measuring chamber or chambers that they shall t'ravel'in a circular path "be-1 neath the hopper,

and to so form the hopper-orifice that .the coimnodity-shall be fed through it into the measuring chamber or chambers as they advam'ein such circular path. 'lo thisend, hopper 3.,o'f our improved. machine is conveniently formed by and between an outer cylindrical wall and an but leaves such chamber spreader.

\ it.;slopes 11 its lowest point in the long incline of plate- 5.

yond' tie edge of platej, where itgl ceases inner, concentrically arranged, conical wall with a ring-shaped orifice below. like orifice is-clos'ed throughout aportion-of its extent .b a'plate 5, and the measuring chambers a vancing beneath are alternately open to receive the commoditywhich the hopper contains and closed by plate 5 from communication with the hopper. I Plate 10, described above in general terms, is, it will be noted, shaped to corresprind with this circular arrangement of the measuring chambers, and is so laced as to close the measuring chambers elow while they are open above, and to leave them open be- '1 low when out off from communication with the hopper above and thus permit discharge tq receptacles advancing beneath in a correspondmg path. 'V1ewed from above, the p ates 5 and 10 to ring, their ends over a ping somewhat, as s indicated in Fig. 3. pon the bedplat;e, 2,, of the machine, a track, 12, is arranged; and upon it a series are propelled. This track extends in curved form beneath the path ofmovemeiit of the measuring chambers, and throughout so much of that ath as is not closed by plate 10.

A' dillicult'y has heretofore existed in the operation of machines of this eneral char; acter, when the commodity w 'ch is being handled is of a fragile nature, because'the commodity is liable to be crushed the action of the machine. To avoid this diffrculty, we rovide what we here term a fine is preferably an instrument in the form of a series. f paddles, which progress throu h the hopper, above the ,ori? rice thereof; an in direction opposite to that of the measuring chambers already described. Plate 5 is shaped to 066 crate with this spreader in carrying the fragilb commode ity to the measuring chamber. Plate 5, as has been said, extends over a portion of the annular hopper-orifice.' The be per itself and its orifice are arrangel in su stantial'ly horizontal plane, and this plate 5 extends on an incline, one edge being substantially flush with the hopper orifice, and from that pointward in the hopper throughout substantial y its entire extent, and it terminates abruptly in a stee pitch down again to the hopper-orifice. The long slope of this 5 descends from its hi best to the direction in w ich the spreader travels: The practical sheet of this arrangement is brought out in Fig. 5; and a further feature there a; pears, an that is, that chute 4 preferably ischarges its suppl of commodity at or near the lower edge ot jihe spreade. assing the direction indicated by the aiir h, swee s the commodity thusfsuppliedf.

inclined plate reelyinto and fills the measuring chaiii b or chambers which are the'recpento rec,

This ring-- i ether form acornplcte' of cans or other receptacles sea,

it. -llie supply may 1' trolled that substantial y ity is thus hers, any sur his being deposited in the pocket or ang e formed between the rim of the'measuring chamber or chambers and the steep face 6 of plate .5, whence it freely descends into the advancing open mouth of the measuring chamber, as the latter passes from beneath the plate 5, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow a. l urthermore, as the drav'ings show, this inclined plate operly be so cona l of the eonnnod- O maltesprovision for a space between the hopper and the measuring chamber when in discharge position, wherein the means described above for clapping out any commodity adhering to the side Walls of the chainbcr may conveniently be located.

A shaft, 7, extends vertically through the bed-plate of the machine, concentrically with the circular hop )er above; and suitable means are provided "or causing this shaft to rotate. Rigidly secured to shaft 7 and rotating therewith is a drum, 8, which extends beneath the annular hopperorilice and which carries a series of measuring chambers, 9, arranged in a ring about its periphery and beneath said hopper-oriiice.

A series of radial arms, ll, mounted upon shaft 7 and advancing as the shaft rotates, arc so placed and arranged that they propel a series of cans along the track, 12; and throughout the extent of track 12 a can advances in vcrtical alinement with each. one of thc measuring chambers disposed above. Automatic means may be provided for feediug the unfilled cans to the machine and car rying the lillcd cans from the machinc. 'lhcsc l'caturcs arc well known in the art. it may howcvcr he observed in passing that, ordinarily, in such machines the means l'or automatically supplying the cans/and lor carrying them away again are endless belts. 'lho suc cssivc cans advance lo position upon the bed ol' the machinc and into the rangc ol' arms II by bcing pushed l'orward by thc cans advancing hchind on thc ondlcss bclt. .'lo rclain tin cans in line and prcvcnl lhcm l'rom gctling displaccd and insurc lhcir rcgular advancc into the rangc ol movcmcnl ol' rad al arms ll, an cxicnsion, 1?, ol plalc ll) covcrs the approach ol' l hc cmpty cans to lhc machin 'lhis is clcarly shown in Fig. 2. ll. will bc undcrslood Ihal. the track, 12, c.\- lr-nds in ring-lihc l'orm 1i ovcrlap the club ol lhc iii omplclc ring-plalc ill. 'lhis l'calurc 'is indicalcd in l igs. 2, I1, and l.

'lhc spr adcr 'wil hin thc hoppcr, which has bccn ilcscribcd in ncral tcrms abovc, in this ms'tanc consists ol a ll:li"u!lll( l paddlc mounlcd upon a shall, 15, which, riscs conccnlrically through the coni l inncr wall ol' lhc hoppcr. liy intcrposcd bcvclcd g'caring, rotation is impartcd to this .sprcndcr lrom shal'h? swept into the measuring chainsea "l hc bcans or other connnod d v) v.12

rotation ol shaft 7, and the parts mounted upon it.

Notchas been made above of the removability and adjustability ot' hopper 3 and of )late 10 upon the frame of the machine. .lhis is not only a matter of structural convenience; it also permits the removal of the measuring chambers and substitution of others of dillerent size, thus varying the size of cl'iarge delivered to the successive recep taeles. Ordinarily, plate 10 of the machine will be secured at such. distance above the bed-plate as to permit the free travel of receptacles ol' desired size beneath it on track 12; drum .8, with. its measuring chambers of desired capacity, will then be secured upon shaft 7; and hopper 3) will finally be brought to position and secured to the frame of the machine at such a height as to permit drum 8 to revolve beneath it, fitting snugly between the hoppcr-orili m above and plate 10 below, for the purposes already indicated.

'lhc operation ol the. parts will readily be understood lrom the l'orcgoin'g description. ity l'rom any suitable source may he introduced into the hopper in any dcsiicd manner, and, as the spreader 14 travels, they arc distributed therein. lassing into the measurin chambers, which advance progrcssivcly lrom beneath plate 5, they lill thcsc measuring chambcrs -lor Whcn the measuring chambcrs are open above, they arc closed below by plate l(). The rotation ol' the machine carries the lillcd chambcrs beneath plate ,thus cutting oll' communication with the hopper above, and bcyond the edge of plate in, thus leaving them open bclow. and rcccptaclcs prc-.'iously brought into vertical alincmcnt stand directly beneath them, the contcnls ol' thc measuring chambers dcsccnd l'rccly into lhc rcccplaclcs, tho llaring shapc ol' thcsc chambers assisting in that discharge. hi1rthcrmorc, as the open mcasuring chambcrs and thc substantially lillcd rcccptnclcs advance in unison, thc clappcr, l3, clapping upon lhc lop ol lhc s uccccdmg mcasui mg chambcrs, cll'ccls lhc dislodgmcnl ol any ol' lhc commodity which may still adhcrc lo lhc walls lhcrcol'. The rcccplaclcs advancc in unison with llic mcasuring chambcrs, onc rcccpla l arraug'cd directly bencath cach chnmbcrv 'lhc mcasuring chambcrs lhus complcicly cmpticd :idvancc again upon plalc ll), and l'rom hcncalh platc 5, to be rclillcd, uhilc thc succcssivo receptacles, as thcy arc lhus chargcd, arc carried away l'rom lhc machinc, to he ultimately closed and s alcd and prcpa cd l'or tho marltct.

We claim, as our int r-ntion.

l. in a nmchinc l'or lilling rcccptaclcs, the combination ol a hoppcr having a. dischargc orilicc, a mcasuring chamber arranged to rcccivc lhc dischar l'rom tho hoppcr, mcans h m the directionoppositc to tho lor opcnmg and closing commumcalion lrom l /hon thus opcn below,

said hopper to said measuring chamber,

means operating in alternation with said I first-named means for opening and closing the bottom of said measuring-chamber, and

means operating when said measuring cham- .ber is out off from communication with said hopper and is open below for dislodging from the walls of said measuring chamber commodity' adhering thereto, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for filling receptacles, the combination of a ho per having a discharge orifice, a measuring 0 amber open above and above with the discharge orifice of the ho per, and means for dislodging'from the wa s of the measuring chamber commodity adhering thereto after the contents of the said chamber have been substantially discharged, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for filling receptacles, the combination of a hopper having a ring shaped discharge orifice extending in a substantially horizontal plane, a plate lying within said he per, closing a ortion of said orifice and inc med therein, its lower edge substantially flush with the hopper orifice and its upper edge elevated above said hopper orifice, a measuring chamber arranged eneath said hopper and advancing as the machine operates. throughout the extent of the hopper orifice, a clapper arranged beneath said inclined. plate and as .the machine operates clapping upon the upper end of said measuring chamber. and thereby loosening commodity adhering to the walls thereof, substantially as described.

,4. In a machine for filling receptacles the combination of a hopper having a ringshaped discharge orifice, closed throughout a portion of its extent, a series of measuring chambers arranged to advance beneath said orifice of the hopper, and a spreader arranged within the hopper advancing as the machine operates above said discharge orifice and in direction opposite that in which the underlying receiving chambers advance, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for filling receptacles the combination of a hopper having an extended discharge orifice lying in asubstantially horizontal plane, a'plate lying within said hopper, closing a portion or said discharge orifice and inclined therein, its lower edge substantially flush with said orifice and its upper edge elevated above said orifice, a spreader for the commodity advancing as the machine operates above and throughout the extent of said orifice and in a vated edge of said plate down the inclinethereof, and a measuring chamber advancing as the machine operates beneath and throughout the extent of said hopper orifice and in direction '0 posite to that of said spreader, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for filling receptacles, th combination of a hopper. having a ringshaped discharge orifice, a plate within said hopper covering a orifice and inclined from end to end in the direction of the curved line of the discharge orifice, a s reader arranged within said hopper and a vancing as the machine 0 crates above said ring-shaped discharge ori cc and in a direction down the incline of said plate, and a measuring chamber arranged-beneath the hopper orifice and advancing as the machine operates in direction opposite to :the advance of said spreader, and a chute through which commodity is supplied to said hopper at a point adjacent to the lower edge of said inclined plate, substantially as described:

7. In a machine for filling receptacles the combination of a horizontally disposed bedplate, a hopper secured in elevated position above said bedlate, and provided witha ring-shaped disc arge orifice, a plate lying within said hopper and extending therein to close a portion of the orifice thereof, a second plate arranged at an interval beneath'sa'id opper orifice and extendin throughout so much of said orifice as is le t uncovered by said first named plate, a spreader advancing in said hopper above said ring-shaped orifice,

ring like formation beneath the ho per orifice and above said second-named ilate and advancing indirection opposite to the advance of said spreader, tacles advancing upon said bed plate beneath and in unison with said measuring chambers throughout so much of their annular path of travel as is not covered by'the stantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have set our hands.

' EDMUND A. HEY.

MICHAEL BRAUN.

Witnesses;

OnAnLEs BARNETT, J. HERBERT BRADLEY.

direction from the eleportion of said dischargeand a series of recep* hereunto a series oi measuring chambers arrangedin second of the two plates named above, sub 

